We recently connected with Esther Huynh and have shared our conversation below.
Esther, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you in your professional career?
One of the most important lessons I experienced in a previous job was working at a large corporate company. It was my first “big girl” job where I was able to move into a salary based income after college. It was the job that would allow me to pay off my school debts and allow me the freedom of transitioning into a full fledged adult. I had very little expectations on how the work community would be like but I immediately found myself extremely intimidated by the team I worked with. Being a photography major gave me some insight into the creative industry but I was never fully prepared for the high demand and turn around time that came from working at an e-commerce business.
The ultimate lesson I learned was efficiency. There are a multitude of elements that makes a business run smoothly and a lot of that has to do with creating a process that works well with others, easy to use, produces quickly, but ultimately delivers high quality work. The four years I would spend with a small team gave me the insight to communicate ideas and convert them into results or images. I also got the benefits of working with experienced photographers who had been in the industry for 10+ years already and gave me great tips and suggestions on how to light products for photography, edit them in photoshop with speed, and still leave room to put my style and twist to the work.
This efficiency gave me the tools to transition to my small business and work as an entrepreneur. It also allowed me the language needed to reach out to clients and provide the answers to their photography needs. And the best part is that after I became a small business owner, my corporate company still sought me out to hire me for freelance work.
Esther, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Esther H. Photography is a small business based out of Frisco, Texas that specializes in product photography. I provide a wide range of work that allows companies to use product imagery across media spectrums that are on trend and give customers the insight to feel confident about what they purchase.
As the owner, I had interest in photography at an early age and used photography to help me finish school. I used to do weddings, portraits and family photos. However, my real skill set developed after assisting a few local product photographers and discovering that I was more interested in this particular field of photography.
A lot of my clients came from my own personal interest. I left my corporate job to work with clients that I truly believed in. Whether it was their overall concepts or their own personal stories, I made sure that each client I worked with had variety and tested my creativity as well. I’m proud of a lot of the clients that started off very small and knowing that my photography has helped them reach high-end retailers or in high profile publications gives me validation as a professional with value.
What sets me apart from other product photographers is my ability to do not only photography but creative product styling that gives the product more life. I use my photography skills to give each image a story of the product. How big is the product, what kind of texture does it have, and what is the function of the product? These are the types of questions I ask myself to help a customer look at the image and make it easier for them to have an educated decision about what they are buying. I also help clients develop a brand style to help reflect their voice and vision. It gives a more cohesive feel and allows fluidity throughout the entire company seamlessly.
It is extremely important to me to have clients who not only trust my creative input but give me the space to exercise it. A lot of my clients have been so kind to give me the room to photograph using my style. If I believe the product itself has a great deal of worth, I want to make sure I can deliver on that.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
A lesson I had to unlearn was to say yes to everything. In particular, I had one particular year where I was stacked with lots of photo projects and I was so excited about all of them. I found myself taking in too much work that I wasn’t able to deliver high quality images because I had tapped out my creative energy too fast. I was burnt out and I didn’t manage my time well where I could have space to rest and then jump back in. I ended up having to take a temporary hiatus and telling my clients was really difficult for me. But I felt it was necessary. I needed to be inspired again to make work that I could proudly stand by. I used that time to do things I enjoyed and look at artwork, listen to music, and even work with others to get me to a place where I could produce better and stronger work than before.
Nowadays, I take my time to really reflect and process which project I would like to take on when it comes my way. I do not say yes to every project and I practice letting go that I can’t do everything. I am human first and foremost and I think people believe creative professionals can always be creative 100% which is not the case. I really believe creativity is cyclical and does not follow a linear pattern. We need to be filled up to give back. I think that alone resonates with ALL my clients and I think they appreciate that understanding more than anything else.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
Podcasts and museums are my top two resources for giving me not only problem solving skills but also maintain a particular voice behind the work. I will often have Radiolab or NPR to listen in the background so that my brain is constantly doing some passive thinking as I’m working long hours on set.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.estherhphoto.com
- Instagram: @estherhuynh